On Dec. 18, the Trump Administration unveiled its Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions for 2018. The document provides insights about the priorities and planned actions of executive branch departments and agencies for the coming year. 

According the Department of Transportation’s preamble, the FAA will focus its resources on four major strategic initiatives in 2018:

• Risk-based Decision Making. Building on safety management principles to proactively address emerging risk by using consistent, data-informed approaches to make smarter, system-level, risk-based decisions.
• National Air Space Systen (NAS) Initiative. Laying the foundation for the NAS of the future by achieving prioritized NextGen benefits to enable the safe and efficient integration of new entrants (including unmanned aerial systems, supersonic aircraft and commercial space flights) and delivering more efficient, streamlined air traffic management services.
• Global Leadership. Improving safety, air traffic efficiency and environmental sustainability across the globe through an integrated, data-driven approach that shapes global standards, enhances collaboration and harmonization, and better targets FAA resources and efforts.
• Workforce of the Future. Preparing FAA’s human capital for the future by identifying, recruiting, and training a workforce with the leadership, technical and functional skills to ensure the United States has the world’s safest and most productive aviation sector.

The preamble indicates the FAA plans to publish two notices of proposed rulemaking addressing UAS and commercial space technologies (Small Unmanned Aircraft Over People, 2120-AK85 and Orbital Debris Mitigation Methods for Launch Vehicle Upper Stages, 2120-AK81), in addition to addressing the previously published Interim Final Rule on Registration and Marking Requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft (2120-AK82) and publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on UAS security-related issues (Safe and Secure Operations of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, (2120-AL26).

The FAA’s top deregulatory actions will involve issuing two final rules. The first, Transport Airplane Fuel Tank and System Lightning Protection, (2120-AK24), would amend certain airworthiness regulations regarding lightning protection of fuel tanks and systems. The Rotorcraft Pilot Compartment View (2120-AK91) rulemaking will the testing requirements for pilot compartment view to alleviate the cost of the flight test and reduce administrative burdens on affected applicants.

Finally, the FAA will focus on two rules related to airline safety and pilot training improvements. The first will establish an electronic pilot record database that air carriers would use for pre-employment checks on pilots (Pilot Records Database, 2120-AK31). The second will implement improvements to pilot training and professional development programs to address mentoring, leadership, and professional development of flight crewmembers (Professional Development, (2120-AJ87).

The agenda also provides a snapshot of the status of all rules currently under consideration by FAA (see table below).  The pre-rule stage indicates FAA is determining whether or how to initiate rulemaking. The proposed rule stage indicates that FAA plans to publish or has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Rules indicated as being in the final stage are actions for which FAA plans to issue a final or interim rule. Long-term actions are those which the FAA is considering but not expecting to action on in the coming year.

When reviewing the table below, it’s important to keep in mind that the fact that the item isn’t included doesn’t necessarily mean the FAA will act on it in the coming year – just like the inclusion of an issue here does not guarantee government action. A review of last year’s Unified Agenda indicates that many items have been carried over and their status has not changed.

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